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Jasmine had everything, and then loses it all overnight. This dramatic change forces her to reach out to the sister she’d all but abandoned.

IS IT A GOOD MOVIE?

Woody Allen’s work is hit or miss for me, but I do like him and enjoy his films when they strike a chord—MIDNIGHT IN PARIS was a touch goofy at times, but I enjoyed it. This one, not so much. There’s a fine line between funny and dramatic and this film doesn’t handle the mixing of these components very well. A rags to riches story with an uppity snob of a woman who comes crawling back to the family she’d been snubbing isn’t overly original or compelling. And it sure as hell isn’t funny, even though it tries to be.

Cate Blanchett is the one redeeming quality here as she’s always great to watch and takes her roles very seriously. I can’t stand her character, but a part of me can’t help but feel sorry for her either, despite the fact she’s reaping what she sewed. We get some solid performances from Alec Baldwin (even though he’s a slime ball, but then again, when isn’t he these days?), Sally Hawkins and Bobby Cannavale, but damned if I understand why they included the Dice man. I remotely enjoyed him in the last season of ENTOURAGE, but it’s clear he’s out of the game for a reason.

BLUE JASMINE is a rough walk in the park for Woody Allen at this point. The guy knows how to write, work the camera and pull a crew of actors together, but he tends to mess up the tone with questionable moments that completely contradict the rest of the film (that said, I did enjoy the bit with the old lady on the plane). I really wanted to give him a ‘W’ on this one, god knows he needs it right now, but I’m just not feeling this one. Now don’t get me wrong, that’s simply this humble critic’s opinion, one that Allen fans should take with a grain of salt, so if you are such a fan I’d still recommend checking it out.

THE EXTRAS

Notes from the Red Carpet: Very brief interviews (like a minute and a half a piece) with Cate Blanchett, Peter Sarsgaard and Andrew Dice Clay from the red carpet.

Blue Jasmine Cast Press Conference: A bland sit down, discussion with the cast and crew about the film. Yawn.

Previews: We get some trailers as well as an Ultraviolet Copy of the film.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS

A tricky tone, characters who are all over the place, and a drawn out storyline that feels a little dull. Some may argue that this is what defines a good drama, but you’ll always get mixed emotions when you try to cut it with awkward comedy.